Conventional techniques provide for control input of a media-based device or appliance either directly or with a short-ranged remote controller. For example, typically the media-based device may be directly programmed using the control panel disposed on the device itself or with a remote controller (i.e., typically handheld) in communication with the media-based device. The hand-held remote controller provides control input from short-ranged distances about the device usually by direct hardwired extension cable, or by some wireless medium, such as for example, infrared and radio frequency. While these conventional techniques work well for those situations where the user is physically located within the vicinity (e.g., typically in the same room as the media-based) of the device, they do not address the situation where the user is at a different physical location and is thereby unable to access the device at such short-ranges. Recent developments have been made to overcome the drawbacks associated with these conventional approaches by enabling the programming and control of media-based devices or appliances over a network, like the Internet. Access to the media-based devices and appliances over the Internet is beneficial because it is convenient and can scale easily to large numbers of media-based devices. However, the technology remains mutually exclusive with respect to those value-added services provided by ancillary parties to promote the content received by the media-based device. For example, one type of value-added service comprises television and cable programming advertisement for upcoming programs to be aired. The broadcast of such advertisements (ads) have traditionally remained under the control of the broadcasters of the content (e.g., cable programming broadcasters, television broadcasters). Advertisers would benefit if they could operate outside of the confines of the broadcasters, such as on the Internet, thereby generating increased reach to targeted audiences.
Advertisers have conventionally strived to ensure that the targeted audience is watching their advertisements. Television advertisers spend large amounts of money airing advertisements for upcoming television and cable broadcasts. With the popularity of the Internet increasing, advertisers have pursued the Internet as a medium in which to target their ads for the promotion of upcoming to-be-aired broadcasts, thereby expanding the traditional mediums of advertisement beyond paper program guides and on-air advertising. With the Internet, for example, when viewing a web page, a user enters a URL of the web page or clicks on a link to the web page. The web page itself is fetched from the web server, and the ad appears as content on the web page announcing the upcoming programming to be broadcast. To be effective, consumers who see these ads must take note and watch the upcoming broadcast. Those consumers who want to record the upcoming broadcast must either manually program their media-based device like a digital video recorder (i.e., personal video recorders) either directly or remotely online. The logistics of doing so are problematic because it is cumbersome for the consumer to have to recall the ad for the upcoming program to be aired and then take several steps to program the digital video recorder. It would be desirable if the ad on the website were associated with the consumer's digital video recorder, so that the user could automatically program the digital video recorder at the same time as of viewing the ad on the Internet.
Furthermore, the parties associated with facilitating the online advertisements of television programming and the online access and control of a digital video recorders are typically separate entities having revenue deriving models that conventionally are not well-integrated with each other. Television advertisers derive revenue from the subscriptions for advertisements promoting the upcoming programs to be broadcast. On the other hand, providers of services for accessing and controlling a digital video recorder on the Internet derive revenue through business models that measure the use of the online access or that apply a fixed fee for using the online services. It would be ideal if the two service providers could partner together to leverage revenue from Internet advertisements of television and cable programming and the online access to controlling a digital video recorder. It would be desirable if such partnering could generate ancillary revenue streams.